commercial
gb/kəmˈɚʃəl/ us/kəmˈɚʃəl/
A2
English
~ 1300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Short paid TV or radio ad
A short ad you see on TV or hear on the radio.
Usage pattern:
a [commercial] for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'commercial' (a short ad) with 'commerce' (business in general).
Synonyms
advertisement (More general term for any form of promotion; not limited to TV or radio.)
Antonyms
program (Refers to the main content, as opposed to an advertisement within it.)
Collocations
TV commercial
|radio commercial
|commercial break
|air a commercial
|make a commercial
Themes
media
|business
|advertising
|communication
Examples
- The company released a new commercial during the big game.
- I saw a funny commercial for a new smartphone.
- The commercial break lasted three minutes.
- They spent millions producing that commercial.
- Her face appeared in a national commercial.
Learner examples
- I saw a car commercial on TV.
- The commercial was very loud.
- That commercial made me laugh.
- He works in commercial production.
adjective
B1
property
2
Related to business or trade
About business or making money.
Usage pattern:
[commercial] [activity/product]
Common mistake:
Some learners overuse 'commercial' where 'advertisement' is meant, especially in media contexts.
Synonyms
business (General term for matters related to trade or commerce.)
Antonyms
noncommercial (Not intended for business purposes or profit.)
Collocations
commercial success
|commercial area
|commercial use
|commercial product
|commercial value
Themes
business
|economics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The building is used for commercial purposes.
- They achieved great commercial success with their latest album.
- This software is not for commercial use.
- The city has many commercial districts.
- Commercial flights are available daily.
Learner examples
- The shop is in a commercial area.
- This movie was a commercial hit.
- We sell goods for commercial use.
- The street has many commercial buildings.
adjective
B2
property
3
Focused on profit over art
Made mainly to earn money, not for art or quality.
Usage pattern:
[commercial] [film/music/project]
Synonyms
mainstream (Often implies broad appeal but not necessarily prioritizing profit over quality.)
Antonyms
artistic (Focused on creative expression rather than profit.)
Collocations
commercial music
|commercial film
|too commercial
|overly commercial
Themes
arts
|business
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- Critics said the film was too commercial.
- He doesn't like commercial music with no depth.
- The project became more commercial as investors got involved.
- She prefers independent films to commercial blockbusters.
Learner examples
- The song is very commercial.
- This movie feels too commercial.
- He makes music that is not commercial.
- The book is not commercial but very good.
Grammar
Dictionary form
commercial
IPA
GB/kəmˈɚʃəl/
US/kəmˈɚʃəl/
Syllables & stress
com - mer - cial (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mer)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: commercial
Noun
- Base: commercial
- Plural: commercials
Word family
Forms
commercials
noun
Core family
commerce
noun B1
Related words
commercially
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
noncommercial
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
Expressions
commercial break
1/kəmˈɚʃəl bɹˈeɪk/
fixed phrase
Broadcast pause for ads
A short stop in a TV or radio show when ads are shown or played.
Examples
- We'll be right back after this commercial break.
- The game resumed following a brief commercial break.
go commercial
1/ɡˈoʊ kəmˈɚʃəl/
fixed phrase
Start aiming for profit
To change something so it makes more money, often by making it more popular and less special.
Examples
- The band went commercial after signing with a major label.
- Some fans were disappointed when the artist went commercial.